LUCA Science Announces Scientific Advisor Appointment of Prof. Joanna Poulton and Congratulations to Prof. Manu Vatish who has been awarded a full professor title

LUCA Science Inc. (Tokyo, Japan) is honoured to announce that Prof. Joanna Poulton, Honorary Consultant in Mitochondrial Genetics, Nuffield Department of Women’s Reproductive Health at the University of Oxford, has agreed to become a scientific advisor for LUCA Science.

Prof. Poulton trained in paediatrics at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, then the Dubowitz Neuromuscular Unit (London). She developed a research interest in mitochondrial genetics as a Wellcome Senior Research Fellow in Clinical Science, then as a Royal Society Research Fellow. As chair/co-chair of European Neuromuscular Centre (ENMC) workshops in 2000, 2010 and 2019, she constructed the current European consensus view on prenatal genetic management of mtDNA disease and mitochondrial replacement therapy.

Prof. Poulton was the first to describe pathological mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) duplications. Her studies of the mitochondrial bottleneck in oocytes laid the foundation for emerging technologies for reducing transmission of mtDNA diseases, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis and nuclear transfer. Her current work focuses on mitochondrial DNA quality control view to developing a new line of treatments for mitochondrial disease.

Prof. Poulton’s knowledge and expertise will greatly help our mission in advancing mitochondria science for treatment of unmet medical needs.

In addition, congratulations are in order for Prof. Manu Vatish MBBCh DPhil MA(Cantab) FRCOG, LUCA Science’s Scientific Advisor, who has been awarded a full professor title at the Nuffield Department of Women's & Reproductive Health, University of Oxford.

https://www.wrh.ox.ac.uk/homepage/news/celebrating-new-full-professors